Columbia Entrepreneurship

Rolling Admission: Columbia Startup Lab Uptown
2024-09-12
Columbia Startup Lab (CSL) Uptown, located on the Morningside campus, provides a host of campus-wide programming, open working space, mentorship, and connection to other entrepreneurship nodes around the University for aspiring student founders currently enrolled at Columbia and Barnard.
We are lucky to have cultivated a very vibrant community of students and alumni who take a genuine interest in helping others in the CSL community. It’s about engagement and sharing, not about just “working on your own venture”. When reviewing applications for participation, we look for individuals who are going to give back as much as they get out of this experience.
[ CLICK HERE TO APPLY ]

Columbia Startup Lab Uptown Programming Begins
2024-09-13

Innovation Forum
2024-09-18 17:00 - 18:30 UTC
Register for the fall welcome event on September 18th to meet new and current entrepreneurs at Columbia. Dan Steingart, co-director of the Columbia Electrochemical Energy Center will join Professor Harry West, co-faculty director of IDE, and Ivy Schultz, Director of Entrepreneurship Programs, to share how to get started on all things entrepreneurship at Columbia. You’ll hear from Columbia faculty and other experts on opportunities at Columbia, their experience in startups, and more. RSVP to learn about upcoming entrepreneurship programs and events in the 2024 – 2025 school year.

Columbia Giving Day 2024 - Support Entrepreneurs
2024-10-01
This year, on Columbia Giving Day, Columbians everywhere are gathering together to make an impact. At Columbia Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Design, we make an impact by supporting hundreds of student and alumni entrepreneurs across all of Columbia’s schools.
Click here to donate to our Columbia Entrepreneurs Fund.
Because it takes more than grit and brilliance to launch a new venture, we offer financial help through the Startup Columbia venture competition, and space and mentoring at the Columbia Startup Lab (uptown for students, downtown for alumni) to explore entrepreneurship.
The Columbia Startup Lab Uptown, located on the Morningside campus, provides a variety of campus-wide programming, open working space, mentorship, and connection to other entrepreneurship nodes around the University for aspiring student founders currently enrolled at Columbia and Barnard.
The annual Startup Columbia venture competition is a series of campus-wide startup competitions that give out hundreds of thousands of dollars in non-dilutive cash prizes to the winning teams.
The Columbia Startup Lab in Soho is headquarters to over 70 Columbia alumni entrepreneurs each year and offers subsidized working space, tailored programming, and a supportive community to help alumni founders and their ventures succeed.
Your generous contribution will support all of Columbia Entrepreneurship’s robust programming and help today’s Columbians learn, build, and launch their ventures: Give Now

Start Me Up Bootcamp Kickoff
2024-10-10
Applications are now open for the Start Me Up Bootcamp program. Teams are required to conduct at least 20 customer interviews; attend online sessions and engage with other bootcamp teams and entrepreneurs. Teams “get out of the building” to learn from potential customers to determine if they are solving a real-world problem with a sizeable market opportunity. The bootcamp is based on the NSF I-Corps program and introduces participants to the Lean Launchpad methodology including techniques to direct customer discovery through field interviews.

Application Deadline: 2024 Columbia Health Venture Fast-Pitch Competition
2024-10-16
Open to Columbia University graduate and undergraduate students in the ideation phase of a startup solution, aimed at a public health and/or healthcare problem. Participants must be available to pitch their idea in-person to the judges on November 22.
Apply here!

Fireside chat with Investor Mike Maples and Entrepreneur and Professor Apoorv Agarwal
2024-10-22 13:00 - 14:00
Join Columbia Engineering for a fireside chat with Mike Maples, one of the first investors in Twitter, Lyft, and Twitch, on October 22nd at 1PM in Davis Auditorium! A regular on Forbes’ Midas List, Mike has an incredible record of sensing and driving innovation in tech. He’ll be joined by Apoorv Agarwal, who received his Ph.D. in Computer Science from Columbia and founded Text IQ, a pioneering legal tech startup that he successfully exited in 2021. If you’re building now or looking to learn more about VC and startups, this is a must attend event for you – RSVPs required, please register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/building-a-startup-tickets-1033913532207
After the panel, Mike will be signing his book, Pattern Breakers, which Steve Blank has called “The most important startup book of the last ten years”. We’ll be doing a Columbia-specific BOGO offer if you’re interested in taking it home!

CBS Startups Week 2024
2024-11-11 00:00 - 2024-11-15 17:00
Join CBS for CBS Startups Week, a dynamic week of panels, tabling events, and networking opportunities! This celebration of entrepreneurship highlights the innovative knowledge and vibrant community that keeps CBS at the leading edge of change. Recently ranked among the top 5 MBA programs in the U.S. for entrepreneurship, CBS continues to produce exceptional founders. Be part of the journey, connect with like-minded individuals, and explore the future of innovation.
RSVP here to secure your spots.

2024 CBS Virtual Demo Day
2024-11-13 12:00 - 13:00
Join CBS virtually on Wed, Nov 13th at 12pm for a CBS Virtual Demo Day to see how CBS founders are turning innovative ideas into reality. This event will feature pitches from select startups founded by current students and recent alumni. Discover exciting new solutions and potential investment opportunities in these ventures.
Click here to RSVP.

Design for Social Innovation Spring 2025 (Application Deadline)
2024-11-18
Apply here.
A project-based course aimed at solving complex problems through design.
Are you interested in tackling complex problems through human centered design?
Design For Social Innovation (DFSI) is a semester-long course taught by Sarah Holloway (SIPA Faculty) and Adam Royalty (Founding Director Columbia Design Studio) where Columbia University students and faculty support social enterprises, nonprofit organizations, and the public sector to address complex, ambiguous global problems through human centered design. The course is open to students from Columbia’s 20 undergraduate and graduate schools via an application process.
The 3.0 credit course is a collaboration between the Columbia Entrepreneurship Design Studio and the Columbia School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA)
The class will take place in-person on Wednesdays from 11:00am – 12:50pm at the Columbia Entrepreneurship Design Studio (meeting all but three Wednesdays when teams are “out of the building” interviewing, workshopping and with teaching team in office hours)
In addition to class time, there will be one mandatory Design Sprint on Friday, January 31. Please do not apply for the course unless you believe you can attend the Friday session.
The application-only course will accept a total of 30 students for the Spring 2025 term.
If selected, you will be placed on a team based on your background and interest.
Applications are now live and they will close at 11:59pm ET on Monday, November 18.
Apply Here!

2024 Columbia Fast Pitch Competition
2024-11-20
In November Columbia Engineering hosts the much-anticipated Fast Pitch event. Teams have 60 seconds to sell their business ideas to a panel of judges to win up to $5,000. Fast Pitch is Columbia’s longest running pitch competition on campus since 2013.

2024 Columbia Health Ventures Fast-Pitch Competition
2024-11-22 10:00 - 13:00
Open to Columbia University graduate and undergraduate students in the ideation phase of a startup solution, aimed at a public health and/or healthcare problem. To be considered for the fast-pitch competition, please fill out the form below by October 16. Eligible submissions will be notified by October 18 and participants must be available to pitch their idea in-person on November 22. The fast-pitch competition will be held from 10am-1:00pm at the Mailman School of Public Health (722 w 168th street, 8th floor auditorium) with a reception to follow.
Learn more here.

No Fear! Engaging Your Board in Resource Development
2025-01-16 18:00 - 19:00
REGISTER
Learn proven strategies for identifying and attracting diverse, committed board members who align with your mission. You’ll also gain practical tools to nurture their active participation and engagement. This webinar is ideal for new organizations building their first board and established nonprofits seeking to energize their current leadership.

Columbia Innovation Forum: Immigration & Building a Team for Entrepreneurs
2025-01-22 17:00 - 19:30
REGISTER
Join Columbia Engineering for an open forum to learn more about entrepreneurship and network with the Columbia University startup community. You’ll hear from Columbia alumni and other experts on their experiences working in the field, how they’ve applied their Columbia experience in their careers, and more. At this month’s open forum, learn about all things entrepreneurship, immigration and building a team. Attend to network, meet potential co-founders & recruit for your team.

CSL Uptown Programming Resumes
2025-01-24
This is for accepted members of CSL Uptown.

Application Deadline: 2025 Startup Columbia Competition
2025-02-03
APPLICATIONS CLOSED FEBRUARY 3
Startup Columbia is a series of campus-wide startup competitions offering non-dilutive cash prizes to the winning teams. Applications open in early January each year and are open to early-stage ventures founded, managed, and owned by current Columbia students, or by recent Columbia alumni.
Each year, alumni judges evaluate competitors in each of the various competitions. All competitions have their own focus, save for the OPEN Competition, which is open to any kind of business model, including not-for-profit and social enterprises.

Building a Fundraising Strategy
2025-02-12 12:30 - 23:30
REGISTER
Learn how to approach your fundraising strategy so you can do what you were meant to do — build your business! Topics include finding the “right” investors; developing a comprehensive fundraising strategy; creating a compelling narrative for investors; when to raise the next round; and how much money you actually need to raise.

Founder Talk: Youth Mental Health Innovation with Patrick Gilligan
2025-02-14 08:00 - 17:00
Monday March 31st, 5:30pm-7pm
722 W 168th St New York, NY 10032, Hess Commons
RSVP HERE
Join us for this semester’s Founder Talk! Somethings is transforming youth mental health care! Historically, youth mental health has been underfunded compared to other behavioral health needs, but according to Rock Health, the landscape is shifting.
Join us for an insightful discussion with the CEO and Founder of Somethings, a platform providing peer mentorship for teens experiencing anxiety, low self-esteem, and loneliness.
Patrick will share his entrepreneurial journey, his expertise in product design, and how he’s making an impact in behavioral health through an innovative, low-cost, tele-behavioral health platform.

Company and Industry Research for Business & Entrepreneurship
2025-02-24 12:00 - 13:15
Open to current students
February 24, 2025
12:00PM-1:15PM
Registration: https://library.columbia.edu/using-libraries/workshops.html#

Columbia Innovation Forum: The Art of the Pitch
2025-02-27 17:00 - 19:00
Join Columbia Engineering for an open forum on February 27 to learn more about entrepreneurship and network with the Columbia University startup community. You’ll hear from Columbia founders and other experts on their startup experience, and more. During this presentation/interactive session, serial entrepreneur Hugh Thomas will dig into the details of what a business plan “pitch deck” contains and what you will need to create in preparation for talking with investors and various audiences.

REGISTER HERE

Deadline: Tamer Fund for Social Ventures
2025-03-01
Are you a nonprofit, for-profit, or hybrid early-stage social or environmental venture with Columbia affiliation? Apply to the Tamer Fund for Social Ventures by March 1 for a chance to receive a seed grant of up to $25K.
As part of the fund, you’ll gain access to resources such as pro bono consulting and accelerator programs, a robust network of fellow social entrepreneurs, events and workshops, and more!
Apply here: https://business.columbia.edu/socialenterprise/initiatives/social-ventures

Columbia Startup Lab Applications Go Live
2025-03-01
The Columbia Startup Lab opens its seats to a new group of Columbia-founded alumni startups this June, and applications go live on March 1! Join us for an Open House on Thursday, March 6 for a chance to meet the team, see the space, and hear from a few resident ventures. RSVP here. You can also start thinking about your application: we’ll want to know a little bit about your company and see proof of customer discovery, proof of concept, and an overview of what milestones you plan to hit within a year.

Impact Investing + Digital Health Crash Course with Padma Rao
2025-03-03 17:30 - 19:00
Monday March 3rd, 5:30pm-7pm
722 W 168th St 4th floor, Room 440
RSVP HERE

Padma Rao is a seasoned leader with expertise in Venture Capital, Digital Health, and Impact Investing. With a passion for making populations healthier and enabling better lives, Padma has dedicated her career to accelerating founders who are innovating for a better world.
As an Entrepreneur in Residence at Startup Health, she supports digital health initiatives driving health transformation.
Join us for this crash course to gain actionable insights and skills that will empower you to create meaningful impact in the public health space.

Columbia Startup Lab Open House
2025-03-06 18:00 - 19:00
The Columbia Startup Lab opens its seats to a new group of Columbia-founded alumni startups this June, and applications go live on March 1! Join us for an Open House on Thursday, March 6 for a chance to meet the team, see the space, and hear from a few resident ventures.

Columbia Healthcare Ventures Investment Simulation Event
2025-03-07 12:00 - 17:00
March 7th , 12PM – 5 PM
ARB 8th Floor Auditorium
REGISTER HERE
The CHV Investment Simulation Event is nearly a month away! A health care investment case will be distributed a week prior to the competition and your team will have the opportunity to win a cash prize. Register for the competition by clicking the link and the CHV team will keep you updated on the materials and requirements for the event. We look forward to seeing you there.

Columbia Startup Lab Open House - 3/27
2025-03-17 18:00 - 19:00
UPDATE: This event is now full
The Columbia Startup Lab opens its seats to a new group of Columbia-founded alumni startups this June, and applications go live on March 1! Join us for an Open House on Thursday, March 27 for a chance to meet the team, see the space, and hear from a few resident ventures.

Market and Consumer Research for Business & Entrepreneurship
2025-03-24 12:00 - 13:15
Open to current students.
March 26, 2025
12:00PM-1:15PM
Registration: https://library.columbia.edu/using-libraries/workshops.html#

DEADLINE: Applications Due for the 2025-2026 Cohort of the Columbia Startup Lab
2025-03-31
Applications for the 2025-2026 Cohort of the Columbia Startup Lab in SoHo are open through March 31! We’re looking for entrepreneurs who have graduated from Columbia or Barnard by June 1 (or up to 5 years earlier) and are ready to work on their startup full time. RSVP for an open house or to get more info about life at the Lab here: https://entrepreneurship.columbia.edu/startup-lab/

Crash Course in Business Research
2025-04-17 14:00 - 15:00
Open to current students.
April 17, 2025

2:00PM-3:15PM
Registration: https://library.columbia.edu/using-libraries/workshops.html#

Design Your Life (and Get Out of Your Own Way!): A Professional Development Opportunity for Columbia Student and Alumni Women Entrepreneurs
2025-04-25 15:00 - 18:00
Date: Friday, April 25, 2025
Time: 3 PM – 6 PM
Location: The Columbia StartUp Lab, 69 Charlton Street, Manhattan
About the Facilitator
Lauren Zander has nearly two decades of experience coaching thousands of private and corporate clients. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, BBC, Forbes, Women’s Health, and other leading publications. Lauren is also the author of the acclaimed book, Maybe It’s You, which distills her powerful coaching techniques into actionable strategies.
Workshop Overview
Transform your approach to business challenges and personal development through this immersive workshop specifically designed for women entrepreneurs. Lauren will guide you through her renowned coaching methodology — which she has taught at MIT, Stanford Graduate School of Business, etc.
Lauren Zander’s revolutionary approach to designing your life lies in her emphasis on radical accountability—challenging you to take full responsibility for your choices. You will benefit from her teachings by learning to confront self-limiting beliefs, embrace personal responsibility, and actively design a life — and business — you truly love.
Key Takeaways

Identify and overcome limiting patterns that impede professional growth

Develop practical frameworks for strategic decision-making

Implement systems to transform aspirations into measurable outcomes

Build a sustainable approach to leadership and business development

Secure your place today – this event is limited to 30 participants, so please sign up today by filling out this form: Design Your Life
We hope you’ll join us!
